


MidWay

by 55555ive



Category: Furry (Fandom)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brothers, Drinking, Episode: s01e01 Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots, F/M, Family, Fiction, Furry, Gay, Gay Male Character, Horny Teenagers, Lions, M/M, Male Friendship, Male Homosexuality, Male-Female Friendship, Monkeys, Other, POV Male Character, Royalty, Science Fiction, Sex, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Teenagers, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-03-21 13:01:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13741434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/55555ive/pseuds/55555ive
Summary: From the mind of Josh the main character of "Life after Love" follow the story of Par ,Sky, and Louis the three heirs to a kingdom . If you enjoy anything you read please leave a comment because I love reading those.





	1. Seventeen

Where I'm from we have kings and queens. For a long time the monarchs were loved because it seemed that generation after generation they stayed good hearted. It wasn't until the death of King Herald that his son Perry became the new head of the land. King Perry was the first mad king , the first great evil . It seemed that he took nothing of his father's teachings when he took the crown. He soon became the first king to be overthrown, and then the cycle restarted. But the new monarchs wanted to make the people feel safe. The new monarchs wanted the people to know that there would never be another mad king. So they came up with an idea that to this day stands. 

Whenever a king or queen had children they would adopt two new borns from the community on the same day as the birth of their own. They would never know which of the three children were their own so they could not favor one over the other. When the children grew up and their parents, the king and queen that raised them, finally passed it would become the people's decision which of the three would become the next ruler. 

Of course it was a flawed system. As children grew up it would become easier to tell who was the actual spawn of the king and queen. By the time a king could know for sure which child was his own he likely had already grown to fond of all of them too much to abandon any. But this being the case meant that for generations when children were picked to become children of the monarchs they were selected by who appeared to be the most similar genetically. If the king and queen were lions the children they were given would be lions. Of course if they were given a monkey and a tiger they would know the only lion was there actual child. 

And that brings the story to me. The king and Queen were lions, and when they had their baby and were given two more from the public they were given me, a monkey, and Louis who was a hyena. They knew right away who their baby was, she was the only lion after all , and they named her Sky. For the first time in history the two adopted children to the royal family were a completely different race, but our parents were good people. The king himself, my father , knew that he wasn't related to the former king before him and I like to think that he loved me and my adopted siblings the way he did because he knew he wanted the same when he was growing up. 

Me, Louis, Sky, my King father, and my Queen mother never had a problem loving one another as family, we were a family, but the public was another story. My mother and father were in perfect health so they weren't going anywhere anytime soon but the people just couldn't imagine seeing myself of Louis on the throne. Louis didn't want to be king and I was never to interested in it myself. But the people also had a problem with Sky being a woman despite her being perfect for the next crown. The kingdom of Fae had many queens in the past but they only came into power after the deaths of the kings they were married to. So in short the kingdom was ether unsure of who they wanted or didn't want any of the next potential line of monarchs to wear the crown. 

It was my 17th birthday, it was also Louis and Sky's birthday as well. It marked the beginning of our last year living in the castle together. It was tradition for at the age of 18 the next in line for the throne would take on positions of power in the kingdom to better prepare them to rule. Taking on said position of power typically meant having to move out and live fare away from the castle. As different as me and my siblings were we were close. Where one of us lacked the others typically made up for greatly.

Sky was natural born leader, fearless, trustworthy and above all else accountable. But my sister lacked a softer side , she always meant well but had trouble being loose. She wasn't always the most fun at a party, but she was level headed in a crisis. 

Louis was almost an exact opposite of Sky. Out of us three he was the most connected to the people. They may not have wanted him on the throne but they kept him in their parties. He was the heart of the castle, sure he could be an ass some times but he knew the people , he was of the people. He wasn't as accountable as Sky, or as book smart, or much of a leader but he was honest and had conviction in whatever he decided to do. 

I guess my brother and sister were always the two extreme points on a spectrum and I was somewhere between them. 

We all ready knew what jobs in the kingdom we would most likely take on when we turned 18. Sky was already ferocious in combat and she was a natural born leader so she knew she'd probably go into the military. Louis was a man of the people, he didn't like to rule , he preferred going with the flow of whatever everyone wanted, he was going to make a great speaker of the people. I didn't know what I was good at , I didn't know who I was or what role I could best fit. But it was our 17th birthday, we had a year before we'd have to leave home. 

I remember the party we had that day. Mom and dad went all out , they were the king and queen after all so extravagant gestures and events were expected. They lit the entire castle with a new invention called light bulbs. They came in many vibrant colors and made candles seem almost barbaric. It's sad that Louis wasn't around to see them and Sky didn't seem phased by them at all . But the most amazing feat of wonder that happened that night were the fire works set off over the great lake that lived behind the mountain of the castle. They spelled out my name, Par, in the sky. I didn't know they could do that. We were outside on the balcony as the last flame left the sky I hopped Sky might have seen them before they faded. I found her talking to a castle guard. 

Par- did you see 

Sky- see what 

Par- the fire works , my name in the sky 

Sky- yes it was nice 

Par- have you seen Louis around, he'll get how amazing it was 

Sky- last I heard he was with his usual friends at "The Splint"

The splint was the closest bar to the castle that me and my siblings could go to outside of the castle without an escort. It was also a place to find cheap street walkers , cheap drink , or cheap drink to give to street walkers to make them cheaper. My brother started visiting The Splint more frequently around that time. We all knew he was entering manhood but he really let us know by the company he would bring home and we'd see leave the morning after. But I did say he was a man of the people. 

Par- he's going to miss the cake 

Sky- he misses the cake every year 

Par- mom put a lot of work into this one 

Of course my mother didn't bake the cake herself. She had the cooks bake nearly a hundred different recipes until they made one that she thought was the best. 

Sky- I'm sure she'll understand 

Par- maybe we should go get him 

Sky - go get him? You mean go to The Splint 

Par- it would mean a lot to mom if we all cut the cake this year 

Sky- I'm not stepping a single paw into that filthy brothel

Par- you won't have to , I'll go in get Louis get out , I just need you to stand outside and make sure no one tries anything 

I was a bit scared to leave the castle on my own. Me and my siblings were royals so there was always the threat of kidnappers. Sky and Louis left the castle on their own all the time, but Sky could handle a fight and people loved Louis so they'd never hurt him. Me on the other hand , I was the least favorite of us three and I couldn't fight. The bar was just outside the castle walls but I didn't want to go alone. Sky snickered and gave me a half grin at my fear. 

Sky- alright, but you owe me one 

Par- one what 

Sky- I'll tell you when I think of it 

We snuck away from the party as it was time to cut the cake. In a royal family everyone likes to give a speech about the person the party is for, there were a lot of people and 3 people to give speeches about so we had more than enough time to find Louis. It's true that I wanted us all home to cut the cake that mom worked on but in the back of my mind there was another reason I wanted to get Louis. I was entering man hood as well and I was curious what The Splint was like. I'd never been with a male or female, I wasn't sure which of the two I preferred or if I favored both like Louis did.


	2. No doors

My sister and I made it to The Splint. It was a worn down multi leveled barn with a few coats of paint. It was less than expected and somehow exactly what I was expecting. As we walked closer to the entrance I noticed there was a couple laid out on the ground making out in the mud like pigs just outside the front doors. My first step through the rickety doors was met by the smell of beer, sex, and sweat. My next step was cut short. 

Barman- hey wipe your feet at the door , we ain't animals

He wanted me to wipe my feet before walking into a room full of people drinking and having sex. I didn't wear shoes so I didn't mind cleaning myself before going further, but the only thing in sight to use for the job was a cloth laying on a near by table. I wiped my feet with it and found that it was wet with a substance that felt like cream. Of course I knew what it was , and it seemed the barman did as well from his laughter as I threw the cloth away from myself. 

We walked up to the bar as the barman was handing out drinks. It was rare seeing anyone who wasn't a monkey, lion, reptile, or hyena in the kingdom, but even more rare were half breeds. The barman seemed to be a mix of lion and hyena. He was a big man with spotted fur and a mane nowhere near big enough to hide his thick roles of chin. How he managed to fit behind the bar much less move was a mystery.

Par- I'm looking for my brother 

Barman- who's your brother 

Strange question. We were of the royal family but my ego wasn't big enough to find it unbelievable that he wouldn't know who we were. 

Par- his name is Louis, he's a hyena, a little taller than me , he caries a set of gold daggers 

He wasn't listening to a word I said , his eyes seemed to be on my sister standing behind me. 

Par - have you seen him 

Barman- sorry kid , that don't sound like anyone I know but tell you what , 

He licked his lips and a few drops of spit landed on the bar and almost on me. 

Barman - if you give me some time with your friend maybe then I'll remember something 

Par - my friend? You mean my sister!?

Even with her standing behind me I knew she was ready to claw his throat out. I heard her grip the sword on her hip and knew nothing good would come of it. 

Par- that's not gonna happen, but look I can pay you for information if that's what you need 

Before I could pull a single coin from my pocket my sister had already pushed me aside. She gripped the barman by the chest fur tuffed out of his shirt and held her sword to his throat. 

Sky - we are in a hurry, now if you would kindly point the way to our brother we would appreciate your cooperation

The barman didn't seem phased even as my sisters blade was pressed to his adams apple. 

Barman- calm down princess, your brother is upstairs 

Par- Sky maybe we should put away the sword 

It became apparent that we were being watched by the patrons. My sister slowly released the large man and sheathed her sword. She was steaming but I stepped back in front of her before she could rethink her course of action. 

Par- what floor is he on 

Barman- third floor, last room on the right , try not to step in anything on your way up kid 

I started to head up stairs but Sky wasn't following behind me. 

Par- aren't you coming with me 

Sky- I think you can take it from here brother, I've had my fill of camaraderie for the night 

She started to leave and the barman was obviously watching as she did so. 

Barman- see you around princess 

I could hear him laughing as I continued up the stairs. There was a deep scent filling the air of dirt and musk. There were women running around naked , men passed out on the floor and against the walls. My every foot step seemed to be met by a moisture that only came from sex. How there was so much steam might have confused me if I could first understand how there were so many people in such a small barn like building. 

I made it to the third floor and as I walked down the hallway there were no doors to hide the many deeds of men and women that got worse as I walked deeper into the madness. Making it to the last room on the right was a battle, there was so much that called for my attention and I was unsure weather I would enjoy giving in to that call. I don't know if I found what my curiosity was looking for , but I found enough to stay with me for a long while after leaving that place. 

I found my brother, luckily he had on pants. He was laying on the floor with a woman under his left arm and a man under his right , they were both monkeys. There was a bed in the room that perhaps they might have slept in but it was against the wall blocking the window. I stepped further into the dimly lit room and squatted over my brother lightly shaking him awake. He wouldn't get up. There was a bucket of water in the corner. I thought I could wake him with a quick splash, but once I picked up the bucket I realized it was not water. I dropped it and piss splashed , that woke my brother , or maybe it was the warm sensation. 

Louis - Par , is that you 

Par- yes 

I helped him to his feet trying not to wake his partners. 

Louis - what are you doing here 

Par- it's our birthday, mom made a cake, and I thought it might be nice for us all to be there to cut it this year 

Louis - you came to a brothel to get me to come home for cake 

Par - yes 

Louis -I'm sure they have cake here 

Par- mom would be happy if we were all together tonight 

Louis - sure I get that , but I have these twins and 

he was about to offer me the opportunity to lay with his partners , I stopped him. 

Par- let's not

The thought of sleeping with someone who I'd have to pay for just didn't feel right, and a person that my brother had already slept with only felt more wrong. 

Louis - fair enough

We made our way down stairs and before we could step to the door we were stopped . 

Barman- where do you think your going 

Par- what 

He was talking to Louis. 

Louis - I'll pay you next time , besides they passed out when it was getting good 

Barman- you owe me for three nights 

Louis - I owe you for two and a half , if you want the other half teach your sluts to stay up until sunrise 

Barman- you little shit 

Louis- hey if you got a problem we can take it outside just come from behind the bar 

The barman went silent before he started laughing and so did Louis and a number of patrons standing at the bar. I didn't get the joke.

Barman- get the fuck out of here 

Louis - you get the fuck out of here 

We started walking to the door as everyone continued laughing. I waited till we were outside to say anything. 

Par- what was so funny 

Louis - he wasn't about to leave that bar for a while 

Par- but why 

Louis - everyone knows if Frank is behind the bar he probably has someone back there with him

I still didn't get it. 

Louis - on their knees 

Par- I'm sorry, are you saying someone was...

Louis - yep 

Par - oh 

It wouldn't take us long to get back to the castle, we had horses. 

Louis - so why did you really come find me 

Par- I told you , it'll mean a lot to mom 

Louis - sure , but mom knows I'm not one for all the ceremony crap, she would have been fine , so why come find me 

When your a part of a royal family one might say you live by a different set of rules. One rule that my siblings and I all know is never to say "I don't know". When you say those 3 words your basically stating that your incompetent or worse naive. Even if it's something you would have no way of knowing you never let anyone know. And it's important to understand the rule of "I don't know " only mattered when dealing with other royals or people in the castle. We weren't in the castle and my brother would not have cared if I said "I don't know" and I should have known that, but perhaps our nearing the castle walls made me more uptight. Rather than answer I went silent and hopped we would move on as if nothing was said at all. I thought it better to be silent than admit you don't know something. That did not work. 

Louis -I'm waiting 

If I couldn't be silent my only other option was to be honest. 

Par- I was curious 

Louis - of what 

Par- stuff 

Louis -are you gonna make me work for this

Par- you go there often , and I believe I know why

I definitely knew why.

Par- but I've never ...

Louis - you've never... 

Par- I've never been with a woman, or a male , I've never been with anyone

Louis - and you want to 

Par- yes 

Louis - then what are we doing trying to go cut a cake 

I went silent again. 

Louis - you know the twins you found me with , that doesn't mean I'm secretly into you or something 

Par- what 

Louis - I'm just saying, they were monkeys, your a monkey, but there is no connection 

Par- I know that 

Louis -just making sure 

We made it to the castle and took a secret entrance inside. 

Louis - you know The Splint is the perfect place for you to do whatever it is you want to do 

Par- I just don't think it would be good for me to partake in the people that work there 

Louis - but I do , are you trying to say there's something wrong with me

Par - no , no not at all 

Louis - I'm fucking with you , but if that's not your kind of place I'd be happy to help you find one 

Par- really 

Louis - sure , but you'll owe me one 

Par- one of what 

Louis - don't know yet


	3. Peace be Hollow

We returned to the party in time to catch the final speeches. No one seemed to have noticed the three royals they were giving speeches for were not present , but my brother made it hard not to be noticed as we walked in and he was covered in the scents of a brothel. We took our seats next to our sister at the great table overlooking the party , and witnessed the madness that followed. 

The final speeches given were by a foreign king named Teco Tibet, Queen Ola , and our King Father and Queen Mother.

King Teco ruled over a land populated by monkeys in the south mountains. He was known for being cold hearted to those not of his kind , but his kingdom and our King father's were, for the most part, at peace. 

Queen Ola, the most beautiful yellow eared panther, ruled over possibly the most diverse kingdom across the red sea. In her kingdom there were more than lions, monkeys, and hyena. Even her royal adviser was a bat , a species rare no matter where in the world you go. 

The first to stand was Teco. 

Teco - the kingdom of Catalina is happy to celebrate the health and prosperity of your house. As a gift we offer to Par ,Son of the Throne, this 

He waved an assistant to his side who carried a sheath sword. Teco presented the blade to the room holding it high for all to see as he unsheathed it with a swift motion letting the light reflect off of its blood gold grip and engraved blade. 

Teco- a blade of the last Dragon Kingdom, forged in war and held in times of peace, this is a symbol of power and authority fit for the next in line to win war or keep peace 

He lowered the blade and sheathed it once again before having one of his men hand it to me at the table. It was a very nice gift, the era of dragon kingdoms was thought to be a gold age. The kingdoms ended only after their kings died without leaving successors to take their place. Now anything from a dragon kingdom is priceless and rare. But what made king Teco's gift so strange is that it was given only to me. He spoke of next in line to the throne which was fine, but to give his gift to me alone meant he was endorsing me to be the next king. He was turning our party into a political move, and when he finally sat down the entire room knew where he stood and what he wanted. 

There was a bit of a silence that took the room before Queen Ola stood. 

Ola- the kingdom of Oboshi thanks the queen mother and King father for inviting us to celebrate with you on this joyous day of life 

My siblings an I called our parents queen mother and king father because they were our mother and father but others would use the same names. As queen our mother is mother to the kingdom by her generosity and love for its children. Our father is father of the kingdom by protecting it's citizens and guiding it to prosperity. 

Ola- we give to the next queen the gift of the goddess 

Like Teco , Ola waved her assistant to bring forward the gift but rather than open it she handed the small jewelry box made of ocean stone to my sister and let her open it for herself. Again the room felt more political as it was clear Queen Ola was casting her vote for next in line for the thrown to be Sky. It was so shocking I don't think Sky actually opened her gift. 

Before yet another long silence could haunt the gathering our King Father stood. 

King- the kingdom of Fae thank you all for your generous gifts and kind words 

Our mother stood and helped our father as it seemed he was unsure how to swim the waters presented to him. 

Queen- we know that one day any of our sons and daughters will make a great king or queen with the support of our people and our allies from the north and South 

Despite King Teco and Queen Ola making politics there was a bigger elephant in the room , or more accurately not in the room.   
Though we were not at war no one had any doubt of troubles between The Kingdom of Fae and the Kingdom of Mar. Where Ola cast her vote for Sky, and Teco his vote for me , the king of Mar would undoubtedly vote for Louis. But the Kingdom of Mar was not invited to the party.

The ways in which the other kingdoms had power over the royal line of Fae was complicated. People voted for specific heirs to be next on the throne in many ways. One way people decide was by who they knew other kingdoms would like to deal with. If people knew that Teco wanted me to be the next king people would vote for me because of the chance trade might get better between our two kingdoms. 

Queen- but we are far from that time so for now let us celebrate another year of peace, joy, and love for our family and all here tonight 

King- yes let us raise a glass 

We all raised our glasses. 

King - to peace 

Queen- to peace 

Ola- to peace 

Teco- to peace 

Louis - to cake , can we cut the cake now 

The room laughed at my brothers blunt impatience. The cake was cut and served to everyone. Following tradition Our king Father took the first bite. He should have used his royal taster. Before he could swallow down a single bite of cake it was clear something was wrong. The royal guards came to his help but by that time foam was forming around his mouth and he'd passed out. Mother couldn't stop screaming and our guest were up in panic. 

Someone poisoned the cake. 

Our father survived the night but could not leave his bed. Their were three questions everyone's mind. Would the king recover? Who poised the cake? And who would we soon be at war with?


	4. King Eats What He Wants

A poor man's breakfast is a breakfast with no meat in it, that's what King Father said. He didn't say it to be rude though. I don't eat meat , and when you live in the kings castle your expected to live a life of luxuries. When my father noticed I didn't eat meat at the breakfast table he said "A poor man's breakfast is a breakfast with no meat in it" and I said "but a king eats what he wants" to which he replied "my son has a brain". He would say those types of things. I had a brain , my brother had a heart , and my sister had will. With my King Father trapped in his bed it had been days since I heard his voice. 

My siblings and I all wanted an answer to the question of who poisoned our birthday cake. After our party Queen mother detained Ola and Teco under suspicion of threat to our family. Unfortunately we couldn't keep leaders of other kingdoms for very long without creating a ripe situation for war, so we let them go just days later. Lucky for us Teco was less than a sensitive ruler and understood why he was detained. Queen Ola seemed to also be reasonable. But no matter how reasonable a head is , it's followers are unpredictable. We had no way of investigating the crime without creating further unease between kingdoms.

So we turned to the one suspect that we already stood on bad terms with. The one kingdom not invited seemed to be the most likely responsible for such an act. Anyone associated with the kingdom of Mar was hunted. It had to be a hard call to make , The Kingdom of Mar were predominantly hyenas. Hunting known associate meant singling out one of the three most residing communities in Fae. I'm just glad I didn't have to make the call because outside of the politics it meant that Louis was in an awkward situation. He was the one hyena not targeted, so he didn't leave the castle. Louis loved being out in the community so seeing him lock himself away was sad. 

I figured between King Father's battle to recover and Louis being stuck inside maybe it was a good time for me and my brother to spend some time together. No one had died yet so there was no grief but much worry. I knew the best way to relieve my brothers worries. Drink and the company of paid partners. I might have invited Sky, but she was never the type to worry. She adjusted no matter what the situation was. The day after our fathers poisoning Sky continued with her studies in combat with the guards like she usually would as if nothing was different. 

But if I'm honest, you don't invite your sister to join the type of day Louis and I were going to have. I wasn't blind to how pampered I was , but I was still a guys guy , my brother made sure of that. My sister would often make it well known that she was not "common people". She never got drunk , didn't sleep around, and even when she lost her temper she always did so with manors. So of course she was not invited. 

You'd think getting prostitutes and drink into the castle a challenge. Actually with my brothers history of doing what I was attempting to do I only needed to find the right guard to ask to get the job done. In just a matter of hours my request was met beyond expectation. The real problem was keeping my special guests hidden and unseen inside of the castle. I suppose that's why my brother went out rather than brought in his guilty pleasures more often than not. As I snuck the group of "workers" from my room to Louis my only thought was "what would be worse , Queen Mother seeing this or Sky"? None the less I made it to my brothers room. 

I knocked three times and for a moment I thought Louis may have been sleeping or away until he opened the door. It had been a week since the night of our birthday, and Louis both looked and smelled as though he hadn't bathed since then. He seemed unphased by the horde of women and men standing behind me. 

Louis - what is this 

Par- I thought you could use ... 

Louis - Par , you can't be doing this 

Par- what? But 

Louis - I can do this , but not you , mom would kill you if she thought you were into this 

I was unsure of what to say , and even more unsure of what to say to all the guests I invited to my brothers doorway. 

Par- we'll. .. they're here so... 

Louis - I said I would help you find someone to get with , I don't need your help finding a lay, send them to the guards house out back 

Par- the guards house? 

Louis - let them have some fun , you and I on the other hand have people to see 

He started to leave his room. 

Par- don't you think you should get dressed first 

It was an awkward ordeal discarding my house guests so suddenly, but Louis was right , the guards seemed pleased with my unplanned gift of bought pleasure. 

Louis and I didn't leave the castle but it was a surprise to see how easy it was to get him out of his room. 

Par- you know I had a whole day planned out 

Louis - and I appreciate the effort, but like I said I'm not the one who needs help in that regard brother 

Par- I thought you were... 

Louis - thought I was what 

Par- upset, depressed, with everything happening from Father being poisoned to a race that you belong to being questioned by mother's enforcers I just thought you would be feeling something 

Louis - I'm fine 

Par- then why has it taken a week for you to leave your room or for us to go see whoever it is you want me to see 

Louis - you ask a lot of questions

Par- only when I need to 

Louis - alright, maybe it's a bit overwhelming knowing that If I leave the castle I could be mistaken for a suspect, or worse those who are being suspected will turn on me as a hypocrite, but I'm not worried, I have always been closest to the people and when things die down I will still be close to the people 

Par- but how long will it take for things to die down 

Louis - good question,and you know I've tried waiting in solitude, but now I think what I have planned for you will be a better way 

We entered the east dining room a small room for more private conversation where ironically dinning rarely happened despite the many finely crafted tables. There were the usual guards that stood by the entrances and exits of every room and a group of people I'd yet to meet. My brother escorted me to them and gave me an introduction.

Louis - Par, this is Non , from the kingdom of Catalina 

His fur was white with patches of red and his stature was taller than mine and my brothers. I could tell he was strong by the way his back hunched in a way that only happens from doing back breaking work. He wore his kingdoms black armor and caried a sword nearly my length.  
The men of Catalina were known for being fierce and made of stone and he looked to fit the mold. There was a general assumption that they were less than open to different forms of relationships outside of the common norm. But he was there, so that could only mean he was open to being with a male. It was unexpected that my brother would invite guests from other kingdoms to meet me, especially from kingdoms that could have been involved in the poisoning on our birthday. 

Par- it's nice to meet you Non

Non- like wise , your brother has been postponing this event for several days now 

Louis - well we're all here now 

Non- that we are 

Louis - moving on , this is Santo , he's the inventor of the castles new lights 

Santo was a lion. Admittedly Id seen him around the castle before but never gave him much attention. He was a skinny guy which was unusual for male lions, but the most curious thing was how part of his ear seamed to be missing. He wore common clothes and a small tool belt, but nothing special. I could tell he tried to look presentable but standing next to Non , who was clearly a member of the Catalina royal guard, he seemed out of his element. He also had a distinct smell of smoke that I couldn't tell the origins of. 

Par- so your who I have to thank for the beautiful lights 

Santo- the technology has been around for a while , I simply put it together 

Par- and I'm glad that you did 

Louis -we all are, but next on our list of guests is 

Yale- my name is Yale your highness 

Par- oh you don't have to be so formal with me 

Louis- this is Lady Yale from the kingdom of Oboshi 

She was stunning. A gazelle with long flowing hair dressed in sea green and sand stones. No matter where she stood in the room light followed her and a breeze kept her in motion but her eyes ,for the brief moments she would look into mine, were solid glass looking through me. 

Louis - which brings us to Jin , a dancer of the "Travelers of Major" a new circus popular among a number of kingdoms 

Par- Jin, that's a beautiful name 

Jin- it was my mother's 

A rare species to find in the kingdom of Fae, she was a red wolf. She had the body of a dancer. With red fur and petite features she was a ruby. Her clothes were of thin silk that hid only the most private features. She had a presence about her that stood out for sure. 

The question on my mind was when did my brother find the time to gather these people while he was locked away in his room for a week? They were all so different. A moment came when realized my brother had gathered those people not for me to connect with, but to sleep with. Did they know that's why they were selected? I had no idea, and to be honest it didn't feel right to ask. My brother was just standing there waiting for me to make a move of some sort. I couldn't do anything with him there, but what was I to do? Send him back to his room? No. I pulled him away from our guests to speak in private. 

Par- what exactly am I supposed to do with these people 

Louis - what ever you want 

Par- what does that mean 

Louis - I thought you wanted to explore your manhood 

Par- do they know that's why they are here 

Louis - no 

Par- I don't think I can just sleep with them

Louis - well not all of them , that would be a bit of a challenge on your first go around 

Par- Louis I'm serious 

Louis - alright, alright, look just pick someone and whoever you don't go with I'll keep busy for the rest of the day 

Par- and by keep busy you mean?

Louis - I might sleep with them

My brother. What more can be said? 

Louis - pick one and I'll keep the others busy, and if things don't work out you can always try again with someone else 

Par- OK , I think I can do that 

Louis - great , now who do you choose

That was the real question. We needed a distraction from the turmoil of the kingdom and our father and it seemed we'd found just that. After all there is no better distraction nor convolution than the presence of choices without foreseeable risk of loss.


	5. Like Mind

My sister was displeased to say the least. She didn't care that we had our get together at a time when there was a killer somewhere in the kingdom. She was displeased by the choice of guests we invited into our home. 

Sky - you invited strangers into the castle

Louis - they were vetted by the the Reeves, everyone was and is safe 

Sky- this isn't about safety 

Par- then what is this about, they weren't "workers" they were good people 

Sky- good people? A night from another kingdom, a scientist who's only major success is a slightly brighter light than candles, a winch clearly looking for a crown , and perhaps the worst is the literal circus perform, do ether of you want to be king , do you care about the reputation of the crown at all

Louis - Sky your looking at this to deep , a few unique guests are not going to give the kingdom a bad reputation

Sky- but would you care if they did 

Louis - of course I'd care , god , you act like your the only one here fit to wear a crown but your so detached from everything 

Sky- I would keep our people safe, I would make sure our family name stood with honor untarnished by scandal and rumor

Louis - you would keep our people scared and soulless under the military's boot, we wanted to have some fun something you should learn to do,

Par- Sky , this isn't a battle, you don't need to guard us from life

Sky -and I suppose you think you'd be a better ruler as well , even after the events of the past days

Par- I don't want to rule anything, but if I did I wouldn't let fear of how we might look stop us from living life , and sure maybe we could have waited to have our guests, but no one is going to die or rebel against the Kingdom over my first kiss, our family name is still good

How we managed to get so far from our united selves was a mystery, but I know it started with a choice. Four guests each unique in their own way, and they were there for me. I made my decision of who to approach first in a most uncommon shallow way. Santo was the most out of place but he was the easiest to approach. 

My brother took the other guests on a tour of the castle leaving me with Santo. 

Santo - so I'm the first to be looked over am I 

Par- looked over ? 

Santo- inspected, your brother was vague in his description of what you wanted with all of us , but he made it clear that we were her for an opportunity to get close to you 

Par- and that's something that you want , you are here after all 

Santo- I haven't made up my mind

Par- so a prince of the kingdom you live in still requires stipulation 

Santo- there have been many kings queens and others of royal titles that have proven vetting is always necessary

Par- and what have you concluded about me thus far 

Santo - that your nowhere near as abrasive as your brother , and your actually talking to me so your not a biased aristocratic like your sister

Par- careful , that's my family your talking about 

Santo- am I wrong 

There was a nice chemistry brewing between us. He didn't seem intimidated by my title and I think that allowed us to talk without as many red lines to avoid. We sat to eat lunch. The cook made quite the spread all of which was to my taste, vegetarian. 

Par- I'm sorry I can have them bring some kind of meat for you 

Santo - no need , I'm a vegetarian 

It made sense why he was so lean. 

Par- I've never met a lion that could survive without meat 

Santo- Its not by choice, I can't eat anything with blood

Par- I'm sorry 

Santo - don't be I haven't had meat since I was a young cub so I don't really miss it

Par- It's still rare, you must have a lot of meals to make up for what you can't have 

Santo- meals are rare 

Par- your not poor are you 

Santo- no , not at all , I mean I've invented a way to go long periods of time without food , it's a special drink of mine 

Par- that's amazing how you make these new things , King Father always said I had a brain but you, you know how to use yours 

Santo- I'm not that special, it takes a hundred failures to come close to a single invention worth use 

Par- but you keep trying 

Santo- I suppose I do 

I'm not sure but I think I made him blush. 

Santo- I have to say , your not what I was expecting 

Par- what were you expecting 

Santo- not this, royals tend to be so set in their ways, closed off, or don't care for what the common people they rule over have to say , but you , you seem more interested in what I do than the people who hire me 

Par- well we don't all see science and innovation as witch craft and black magic 

There was a pause , but it was good. For a brief moment no words need be said as we shared a smile and equal comfort. 

Santo- would you like to see my work shop

Par - right now

Santo- unless your done with me already 

My brother was keeping everyone else occupied so I was free to leave with Santo, but I was uneasy. I never left the castle without my brother or sister. But there was a good wind in the air and I threw caution to it. 

I debated with myself on taking royal guards but I knew that would be too much. As we walked the cobblestone streets I didn't feel fear. I was over come by the banquet of new things I'd never seen for myself. Little things like the shops and parks. Fae was an old kingdom and many of its buildings were lush with overgrowth and the most unpredictable beauties. And of course there were the things I could have gone without seeing like the many homeless, and the decrepit state of land still untouched after the "War of The Mad King" generations before my time. 

Santo and I finally made it to his work shop , a small little house hidden away in a wooded area. We were so far from the castle , and it started to set in just how long our walk took. The sun was beginning to be low as he unlocked the doors to his home and we stepped in. 

Santo- Its not much , but it's mine 

From front to back top to bottom all my eyes could see were wood and metal forming the most elaborate things, things that I did not understand and I appreciated . 

Par- it's beautiful 

As the suns light fell it became harder to see until he pulled a lever and lights illuminated everything. Where to begin, I think that's the question on our minds at the time. He took my hand in his and pulled me into the weaving of beautiful madness. 

Santo- this is my life , this is what I do 

Par- I can only imagine what your house must look like if this is your workshop 

Santo- this is my house, or it will be when I can afford to but it from the owner 

Par- the owner 

Santo- he's a nice man , let's me conduct my experiments how I wish as long as I don't burn the place down 

Par- but where do you sleep, where do you eat 

He showed me to a wall in the corner of the room and pulled another lever. Right before my eyes everything sank into the floor and the walls as it turned from a workshop to a bedroom. It was a less impressive sight. 

Par- you sleep here , in this small place 

Santo- we can't all afford gold encrusted castles your highness 

Par- I didn't mean it like that 

It was almost depressing. At least as a work shop the many inventions that took up space made the room feel like a marvel, but with only a bed and wardrobe I couldn't help but feel guilty. I knew that when our day ended I would return to a castle and he would stay in that place. King father once said " never pitty a man who has less, but don't assume that they want what they lack", if Santo was happy then I had no reason not to be. 

Par- it's getting late , I think I should be getting home 

Santo- before you go , let me give you something 

He went over to his bed and pulled a box from under it. He took from the box a small rod like thing. 

Santo- this is a light similar to the ones I put in your castle, you can carie it with you

He handed me the light and it was relatively easy to use with only a simple switch to turn it on and off. But it's light was strange. 

Par- why is it blue 

Santo- different chemicals 

Par- well thank you but I didn't bring anything to give you 

Santo - just say you won't forget me when your back home and I think we'll be even 

Par- I think I can do that 

I didn't know if it was right to hug him or kiss him , so I went with the more awkward choice of shaking his hand before leaving. I wish I'd done more than shake his hand. It was a nice day. 

As I started my walk back to the castle I got lost in thoughts of all that Santo showed me and the many things he could show me in the future. I got so lost in thought that I became lost in reality. Those beautiful streets seemed menacing in the moonlight. One might have feared spirits as they walked the abandoned night streets. But I could see the castle in the distance so I kept walking.


	6. Like Lust

I made it home safe as I could later than I liked. My feet were tired and I was cold from the wind chill. All I wanted to do was get to my room and sleep. I got the first half of my wish. 

To my surprise there was someone waiting for me when I made it to my room. She was in my bed . How did she get past the guards? 

With her head under the covers, she said turn out the lights. She stayed out of my view, I was confused and too deep in the night. I asked her name , she told me she was a lady, and I knew right from then. I turned off the lights ,and that's when it all began. She pulled me into the sheets, her body was soft against mine. I don't know if I knew what I wanted but she had her hands on me. She didn't hold back it was like a game she knew how to play, and I played it too. I played it too. 

Silk sheets wet with sweat and oils , the scent of a ocean. Her lips met mine parting only by the tongues line as I took my hand and held it to her warmth. I was new to the role I was playing but she didn't seem to mind. And I let her undress me before we went any further. I lost my face in what might have been her hair or fur, perhaps both. She grew impatient and shifted the tide taking control and readying herself for a ride. I was scared but lost in the moment all the same. I wasn't about to stop her and she knew it, maybe it was all a game. 

She took me into her body and a moan ran from my mouth. I gripped her waist and pulled her down, it felt right in the moment. Never had I ever felt so hot and wet at the same time lost in a tight grip tighter than what was ever mine. Her body welcomed me again and again to no end, and I found a rhythm in our motions. Before long I was drained in more ways than one. She stayed there until my drip was finished but she didn't seem to be done. 

I couldn't move , I didn't want to, why would I? She pried herself loose from my body and I felt a wave of our efforts create a mess of my bed. And just when I thought it was over she sank below the sheets once more to clean up our mess. She stayed there until I fell to sleep. And when I awoke the next morning she was gone. 

All I could think was "was it a dream or a night"?


	7. Like Soul

When I left my room that morning I was greeted by my brother waiting for me in the hallway. He hadn't slept all night from the looks of it. 

Louis - how was it 

Par- how was what 

Louis - don't play games , I know she was in your room last night , the guards have been talking about it all morning 

Par- what 

Louis - she was your first right 

Par- yes , my first everything 

Louis- I was worried when she went missing, imagine my surprise when I find out she was with you 

Par- she's not here anymore 

Louis - what 

He pushed me out of the way to get into my bedroom searching around as if she might be hiding.

Par- I think she left last night or maybe this morning, sometime while I was asleep 

Louis- Fuck , she's a Lady of a very wealthy house in Oboshi, we need to find her 

Par- I have no idea where she is 

I felt strange being the one naked in front of my brother for a change. 

Louis - it's alright , I'm sure I'll find her, but in the mean time how were things with the inventor

I suppose he sensed my unease, he tossed me a pair of pants. Somehow it felt stranger getting dressed than standing naked, I think addressing my nudity was different from ignoring it. 

Par- it was fine 

Louis - I'll take it he wasn't very interesting if you left him to come home to Lady Yale 

My brother could be very smug at times. You could hear a laugh in the back ground of his voice as he teased me. 

Par- it's not like that, things were going well but we hit a bit of a snag twards the end 

Louis - what kind of snag 

Par- the kind that I think I'll keep to myself 

Louis - fine be private about your business, I suppose I should send Non and Jin away since you've grown so close to Yale and Santo 

Par- no don't do that 

Louis - you still want to try the land do you 

Par- Lady Yale was ... I don't think I can see what we did becoming something serious 

Louis - something serious? The point of me bringing you these guests was not to become serious 

Par- I know that , but I'm not like you brother , I want more than just a physical release 

Louis - that must be so much easier to say after you've gotten just that 

Par- I'm serious 

Louis - I'm sure you are, 

He took a moment to look at my bed sheets and laugh before he continued. 

Louis- fine if you want to turn guests meant to be laied into relations then I have one piece of advice 

Par- and what's that 

Louis - as a royal you can have as many concubines as you wish, but sometimes less is more

Par- meaning 

Louis - who knows, it's something Father told me once, but your the one with the brain remember 

I imagined it was a warning not to give myself to too many because there would always be those who wanted a seat next to a royal. But then I imagined that maybe it meant that even if I found those who were good for me I would still only be one person limited in what I could give. Honestly the idea of being in a relationship with more than one person had yet to cross my mind until my brother threw it. I was eager to find out if any of my other guests could meld with me in a similar way as Santo seemed to. Or perhaps better than Santo did. 

Par- you haven't slept with anyone have you 

Louis - of your guests, no, of my own, yes 

Par- of your own ? 

Louis - you didn't think I only invited those meant for you did you 

Par - that must be how you lost Lady Yale

Louis - they were supposed to wait in the castle gardens while I

Par- while you laied with your invited

Louis - when I returned only Non and Jin remained 

Par- where are they now

Louis - Non is out in the kingdom somewhere but Jin and her performer family are in the castle courtyard 

I finished getting dressed as we left my bedroom room. 

Par- you know just because father says you have a heart doesn't mean you have to love everyone

Louis - I wouldn't call it love brother , what your doing may be closer to it than I 

My brother left me to return to his search for Lady Yale while I went to join Jin in the courtyard. There was a circus. Music played loud dancers danced and perhaps the most notable eye flow went to the many odd performers. As I walked out of the castle into the family of acts I passed what I assumed were the main attractions. 

There was a fire breathing monkey named Salvador. He juggled balls of fire like fruit. As I passed him he offered to toss me one of his flaming orbs, of course I declined . But he seemed intent to pass me the orb. He prepared to throw them all my way and for a moment I was terrified until he tossed them in his mouth extinguishing them. He then regurgitated the orbs and placed one in the palm of my hand. It was a fantastic show , so fantastic that ignored the heavy amounts of saliva that came with the orb in my hand.

I continued my walk through the courtyard and came across a woman who could change her face . Her fur was grey and her body feminine but with her hands and make up she fit her face to match mine. It was like looking in a mirror as long as I didn't allow my eyes to fall below her shoulders. 

Perhaps the most curious performer was a hyena in make up. I believe he was known as Clown by the sign he wore around his neck. Not a clown, not The clown, just "Clown". Everyone else seemed to avoid him but to me he looked harmless. It's also worth mentioning that he was in an unkempt cage , a very small one at that. I began to step closer to the cage reaching my hand out to the almost depressing sight of a beaten man. Before my fingers could slip beyond the bars I was finally met by Jin as she pulled me away. 

Jin- he only acts sad to draw you in 

Par- he does it well , why is he in a cage 

Jin- he is Clown 

Par- what does that mean 

Jin- he has done things outside the need of the family, so now he is clown 

Par- it's a punishment 

Jin- only for a week or two , he gets pie in the face and takes the lesser positions in acts 

Par- and he stays in a cage 

Jin- to keep him from running when it is his time to "perform" 

It was a bit hard to swallow. 

Par- what did he do 

Jin- he stole the families money and spent it on cheap wine and entertainment of the sexual brew 

Reminded me of Louis, which did not help me get over Clown being in a cage , but I could understand being punished for going against ones family. Family is all we have after all. Take away the castle the fortune and the name and all we are left with is family so loyalty has to be important. 

Jin- don't worry about him I have a very special surprise just for you 

Par- a surprise greater than that I've seen so far 

Jin- greater and growing still as your mind can not comprehend it until your eyes have been opened 

Par- you give me high expectations 

Jin- we wouldn't want them low 

She guided me through a sea of performers until we were on the castles great yard. I suppose I missed the tents being set up the night before because of the cover of night but even still I couldn't believe they managed to set up such high structures without being noticed. How Queen mother had yet to go into a rage over our castle being over run by a circus was a mystery, but as I entered the tents with Jin my mother was far from my mind. 

It was dark , pitch black, even with day light outside. I lost Jin in the void and tried to find her. I called out for her but was denied an answer. I couldn't tell where I was and couldn't find a way out. And then I saw it. A light in the distance. I walked to it and found I couldn't see the hand holding it. As I grew near the flame It extinguished itself and once again I was lost in the dark. 

I counted 5 seconds before there was an explosion of light around me. I was surrounded by dancers in clothes on lovely bright colorful fire . Jin was their center, she sat me on a seat I didn't see and it began. I was entranced by stars floating around my head pulling me into a dream. One by one fire became stars until they faded and came again bigger and bright than the last. And at the end all stars dimmed and Jin came from the above to offer me a soft kiss before she too disappeared like sparks in the night. 

I spent the day with Jin and her family . The sight of Jin as the center of a fading and bright universe of stars stayed in my eyes. Out of all the acts her's was the one that spoke to me, I couldn't hear the words , but I knew they were there. 

I got to speak to her alone when her family started to pack up their circus. The castle guards felt there were too many unknown faces around at time when King Father was still recovering, and recovering well might I add. I took Jin into the gardens and we sat surrounded by juniper trees stretched out to the sky. 

Par- you were right

Jin- was I

Par- it was amazing, you are amazing 

Jin- I am but a feather on the bird that is my family 

Par- you are the eye of your family's bird 

That came out differently than how I thought it would in my head , but she laughed so I wasn't too embarrassed. 

Par- how did you know you wanted to be in a circus 

Jin- I had no choice, I was born into this life 

Par- but you seem so happy, so sure of yourself 

Jin- I was born into the circus , but I decided what I would do here , my start was given to me but I created my path from it , I'm sure you must be doing the same 

Par- making a path? There's only two roads for me to take as an heir to the throne , become king or don't 

Jin- and which do you want 

Par- your the first person to ask me that 

Everyone always assumed I want to be king but I never knew for my self. 

Jin- I knew I had to be in this life , but I decided how I would live it , King or no king circus or no circus what matters is how you rule your life and what you do with what you are given 

Par- but what life would I have as a king


	8. Like Body

Non , unlike Santo and Jin, sent for me rather than waiting for me to come to him. He requested that we meet in the castle's training ring. I arrived the next morning as requested before dawn. It seemed I was the first to enter , not even my sister had entered the ring for her daily training so early. The sun was still rising on the sand pit that was the ring. When he finally arrived he seemed to walk down the stone steps as the sun arose behind him , it was quite the entrance. There was something different about him but I couldn't put my finger on what. Maybe my eyes were still waking up, but as he came closer it began to come clear what had changed. He was missing the red patches in his fur. 

Par- You colored your fur? 

Non- Why would I do that

Par- Its just that, you had red spots the last I saw you 

Non- Those were ... stains of battle 

He was a member of Catalina's royal guard after all, but when I last saw him he was covered in so many red spots I believed they were a part of his fur. What could he have been doing to be so drenched in "stains" before attending my brothers event? 

Par- Stains of battle? 

Non- Training, I lead the combat training of my kingdom's royal guard , in intense practice things can get ... out of hand 

Par- Was anyone hurt 

Non- Many were hurt, but they'll live 

Par- It sounds like your a demanding teacher 

Non- I have to be strong as steel for my men to learn to break stone 

Par- Is that why you wanted to meet in a training ring , am I to watch one of your classes 

Non- In Catalina love is seen as a war , but unlike war in love you hope that your adversary never falls, you want the battle to be endless and ever growing no matter how weighed you become 

Par- That's very... poetic but 

Non- As a royal you were trained to defend yourself? 

Par- Yes , I know how to handle myself if a situation calls for it 

There was a brief pause as he stepped away to stand near a rack of weapons. He looked to the weapons then back to me. 

Par- I'm sorry but are you asking me to fight you 

Non- In Catalina this is a ritual held before any relationship begins, a battle between two meant to join together is fought till one yields, the winner decides if there union begins or departs

Par- I know how to defend myself, but my sister is trained for war 

Non- I know you will not win , but if anything between you and I is meant to be real then this is a tradition that will mark it's start 

Par- What if I hurt you , your a member of another kingdoms royal guard 

He laughed. 

Non- I doubt that will happen but It would be a welcomed surprise

Par- Does your king know you are here, doing "this" with me 

Non- My King asked me to offer myself to you 

Par- He wanted you to be with me

Non- My King knows you are at an age where you are ... exploritive and he felt you would connect best with one who fits your heritage

Par- I don't think it's your kings place to meddle in my life 

Non- You misunderstand, my King asked this of me, yes, but it was my choice to make in the end, a choice that I am still making 

Par- So your here of your own wants

There was a gravity to the scene that only came from our being in solitary silence in such a spacious arena together. 

Par- You know if you hurt me my sister may fight you next , she can be protective that way 

Non- You speak of your sister so heavily , perhaps I should ask her to enter this ritual with me instead 

He laughed again. 

Par- This is a very strange way to start a relationship 

Non- You know little of your traditions and heritage

Par- I'm a prince of Fae not Catalina 

Non- You are a monkey like I, thus your blood is from Catalina 

Par- My blood is of Fae

Non- Do you not wonder what you might have been if you were not given to this land

Par- I was born here 

Non- you were brought here 

Par- what difference does it make 

Non- it makes all the difference in the world , had you never been given to this family you would be home with your brothers 

Par- you speak as though you know for certain my birth family is from Catalina, I could be from anywhere , Oboshi, Fae , Merce, anywhere 

Non- but what if you are from my kings kingdom, what if you were my prince

What was he speaking of. He had no doubt in his voice, and questions of hypothetical realities seemed to be real to him. 

Par- what are you saying 

Non- there was much work in having another kingdom take the heir of ours as its own 

Par- what are you saying 

Non- my King knew it would be a difficult life for you to grow up away from your people but 

Par- what are you saying Non 

Non- your father , your true father is King Teco 

Par- your lying 

Non- perhaps I am, but what If it were the truth 

He was toying with me or completely serious, but I couldn't tell which. 

Non- now are you ready to fight me 

He meant to make me mad by raising questions of my birth family, and it worked. I gave him a fight , a long fight , a battle. It was clear who was the better fighter but he'd gotten under my skin. Of course he won, he had to, I was never going to beat a royal guard in direct combat. I knew the battle was done when I woke up hours later, and by that time he was gone.I knew what Non had told me was only meant to make me angry but he fabricated such a story with ease. It stayed with me. I needed to find him again to know for sure if it was all a lie. 

I was battered and bruised covered in sand from the pit as I searched the castle for Non. I found my brother first. 

Louis - Par , you look terrible, what happened to you 

Par- Non 

Louis - Non did this to you, 

Par- yes, no, it's complicated, do you know where he is 

Louis - he left hours ago to rejoin King Teco in the city 

Par- where in the city 

Louis - the embassy 

I was nearly on my way when my sister joined us. She stormed down the hallway until she met us.

Louis - Sky 

Par- morning sister 

Sky- what have you done 

My sister seemed displeased to say the least. She already had a bark in her voice. 

Sky- you left the castle with a commoner 

Par- what

Sky- the inventor 

Par- that was days ago

Sky- then you lost a Lady of Oboshi 

Louis - we know she's in the castle 

Sky- you both allowed a circus to enter the castle 

Par- it's gone now 

Sky- and who do you think gave the guards the order to remove it from the castle grounds 

Louis - that was you?

Sky - don't being to question me when you invited strangers into the castle, into our home

She didn't care that we had our get together at a time when there was a possible killer to worry was after the family . She was displeased by the choice of guests we invited into our home. 

Louis - they were vetted by the the Reeves, everyone was and is safe 

Sky- this isn't about safety 

Par- then what is this about, they weren't "workers" they are good people 

Sky- good people? A night from another kingdom who could just as well be a spy, a scientist who's only major success is a slightly brighter light than that of a candle and isn't even a member of a royal family , a winch clearly looking for a crown , and perhaps the worst is the literal circus perform, do ether of you want to be king , do you care about the reputation of the crown at all

Louis - Sky your looking at this to deeply , a few unique guests are not going to give the kingdom a bad reputation

Sky- but would you care if they did 

Louis - of course I'd care , god , you act like your the only one here fit to wear a crown, but your so detached from everything, Par was just trying to live his life

Sky- I would keep our people safe, I would make sure our family name stood with honor untarnished by scandal and rumor

Louis - you would keep our people scared and soulless under the military's boot, we wanted to have some fun something you should learn to do

Par- Sky , this isn't a battle, I see where your coming from but you know we wouldn't let anything happen

Sky -and I suppose you think you'd be a better ruler as well , even after the events of the past days

Par- I don't want to rule anything, but if I did I wouldn't let fear of how we might look stop us from living life , and sure we could have waited to have our guests in a more royal manor, but no one is going to die or rebel against our family over a few dates , our family name is still good

Sky- I'd expect this from Louis, but Par 

Par- I have met four of the most amazing people over these past days, I'm not going to feel sorry for that 

Sky- sorry isn't good enough 

She left us, and where I understood her argument it felt out of place. I won't argue that having a circus invade the castle wasn't too far, but Santo was a nice brilliant person and I didn't care if he was a royal or not. Jin was a beautiful soul. Yale was... who she was . And I was still making up my mind about Non. If being king meant that I couldn't see these amazing people, then I wanted no crown, no throne , no seat of power. But I always knew where I stood when it came to the subject of being king, even if I could never say it out loud, what surprised me was Louis. He said it , he wanted to be king, or at the very least he believed he'd be better at it than our sister. But that was something to think about later. 

Par- I'm going to go find Non 

Louis - yea good luck with that 

I Knew he wanted to go with me but with his kind still being questioned for our King Fathers poisoning he couldn't leave.

Par- you really should find Lady Yale 

Louis - she's in the castle, she'll turn up eventually 

I was on my way. Leaving the castle with Santo made me more comfortable out on my own, so I left my royal guard and traveled into the city on my own.


	9. Fathers Unknown

I traveled to the embassy. It was a long ride on horseback that nearly took till sundown to clear. The building was unlike anything else in the city, it went below ground rather than above. My first steps were into shadows as I followed a narrow set of stairs down into the earth that slowly turned into a tunnel lit by torches. I thought I was alone but as I crept deeper I could see guards standing near every other torch. I tried to speak with them as I walked but they gave nothing. I finally met the end of the tunnel. There was a large wooden door locked from the opposite side. A man slid open a slot to speak 

Stranger - what is your business here 

Par- I'm looking for Non 

Stranger - there is no one here by that name 

He started to close the sliding door. 

Par- I am Par Prince of The Kingdom of Fae , and I command you to open this door 

Stranger - you have no power here prince, only a king or queen may enter 

Par- then I'm here to speak to King Teco 

Stranger- the king of Catalina has given now warning of visitors to allow entry 

Par- ask him if he wishes to speak with me , he will tell you to let me in 

She shut the door and for a long while I was in silence. Suddenly the gigantic wooden door was open and I was allowed in. The main area was spacious, in truth it was a big circular waiting room with several doors. 

Stranger - the King of Catalina is behind door 5 , he will see you now 

I proceeded to enter room number 5 . It was a red room with black furniture and dim lighting. There were guards everywhere and in the center sat Teco as if he were waiting for me. 

Teco- You should have a seat

I sat across from him unsure of the meaning to the situation. 

Par- I'm looking for Non 

Teco- so your enjoying my choice 

Par- you don't care that I know you wanted us together 

Teco- I want many things for you , all good , so why would I not want you to know 

Par- you used him to lead me here 

Teco- he had no choice but to return to my side , as a member of my guard he must see to the routine renewal of my detail , your following him is simply an added bonus to the usual 

Par - it feels like your lying to me , setting me up and luring me here 

Trco- Your king is the one who has lied to you, and in more ways than one but I offer you the truth 

Par- And what is the truth 

Teco- You are my son 

Par- I've already heard this lie , and it is impossible 

Teco- It was a plan made to stretch across years , we made sure you would be in the royal family of Fae so that you might take the throne and give it's power to me 

Par- I'm no spy 

Teco- No , but you are my son , in giving you up I realized how cold I'd become as a ruler , that is why I left you in the dark , so that you might grow up unhindered by my short comings 

Par- lets pretend that I believe this story , It doesn't matter, I'm not yours 

Teco- No , you are no one's to control, but there is more that you do not know 

Par- I don't need this , I came here for Non , not this 

I tried to stand but blades were held to my throat until I sat down once again. 

Teco- You may not be mine to control but I will protect you , and that is why you will listen 

Par- To what 

Teco- Growing up you assumed you and your brother were the odd children, but your sister is not a child of your king and queen ether 

Par- What does that mean 

Teco- Your queen had a miscarriage, she never gave birth to a single living heir 

Par- How could you know something like that

Teco- because I have kept eyes on you and your family long before I gave you to them

Par- So my sister is adopted as well , what difference does it make 

Teco- Her birth father makes the difference 

He paused. 

Teco- Her birth father was a man of great wealth, great power , and great insanity 

Par- What 

Teco- Sky's father was insane, and so was his father and his and so on and so forth 

Teco- Are you implying that my sister is insane 

Teco- We believe your sister is the one responsible for the attempt on your King's life 

Par- I'm done here , let me go

Teco- Your people, your inspectors they are poor at best , it took my spies only days to find the poison that nearly killed your king 

He tossed me a vile of the poison.

Teco- We had it extracted from each slice of cake that was served that night , would you like to know who's slice had none 

Par- Stop this 

Teco- You, your brother, and your sister had no poison while your king and Queen were given enough to kill ten men, I have no doubt that if anyone else had received there deserts that night it would have been their last 

Par- My sister did not do this , she is too loyal , too protecting 

Teco- I've given you the information that you need , but I won't hold your hand , if you do not trust me then search for the answer on your own , I'm sure you'll be back when you realize that I am on your side like only your true family can be 

I left only after the guards let me stand and pass them to get to the door. On my way out of the tunnel up the stairs I found who I came for. He was waiting for me

Par- Was this all just a game to you 

Non- No 

Par- Then why make me go through this 

Non- I have done nothing but be loyal to my kingdom and it's king 

Par- My father,

I couldn't believe I called him that. 

Par- your king , thinks that I need you, he thinks you would be good for me , what do you think 

Non- You lasted a minute longer than any of my men in combat, I'd say you don't need anyone 

Par- I don't know if I can trust you 

Non- Then don't , but as the winner of our ritual Know that if you come to look beyond what your father has set into motion I will be here for you 

Non- I suppose this is better than finding out you were only in it to deliver me 

Non- And pass up the chance to be with a formidable opponent who may one day rule two kingdoms, of course not

Par- will you ride with me back to the castle 

Non- another night my prince, King Teco has requested that I stay here for the remainder of his stay in your land 

Par- and how much longer will he be here 

Non- we make leave for Catalina at dawn 

Par- so your leaving 

Non- already you show me more affection than I deserve, I'm sure you will have many to keep your company until we meet again 

Par - and you wouldn't protest it 

Non- you are a prince , I'd be a fool to think you unwanted by many, and it be cruel to deny you you the joy of joining with them whether it be myself or another

He stepped closer engulfing me in his presence. 

Non- but I leave you with this 

He held my chin and parted my lips with his tongue joining our lips as our eyes shut. For a moment we were nowhere but with each other. And as it ended I could already tell how I'd miss the embrace. With a kiss to keep me warm I went on my way home to search for cold truths.


	10. Trusted Poison

How much could I trust? How mush should I distrust? On one hand are wild tales with the possibility of Sky being an adversary and the King of a foreign land as an allie. Or was it all a trick to have my hand turn against my family? How do you begin to answer questions that could in themselves be false? I needed evidence that the makings of my questions were real. I needed to know two things. Could Teco be my father? And who was Sky's father? If even one of the stories Teco told were true it would mean the chance of them all holding weight. 

I needed a way to know for sure , without any shadow of doubt who was in relation to whom. If there was one thing I believed that Teco told me it was the poor quality of our kingdoms ability to investigate. Nearly two weeks had passed and still we seemed no closer to finding who poisoned the King. To ask that an investigation be held to find blood lines lost by time would be too big a risk and too much a challenge. I needed someone smart but capable of keeping silent. Santo came to mind. I didn't want to use him in such a way that might endanger his life but he was the only person I knew who could possibly help without raising alarms. 

I'd just returned from my ride back to the castle. In the late hours of the night I retired to my quarters and searched for enough peace of mind to sink to sleep. When I entered my room I was once again greeted by the sight of a body in my bed. 

Par- Lady Yale 

She did not speak. My mind so confused I believed that what she offered me once might bring me release. I left the lights off and went to join her in my bed. 

Par- My brother has been searching for you 

I spoke and still she said nothing as I crawled beside her. 

Par- I'm glad that you haven't left us 

Still no answer, not a single word ,but there was something. A cold sensation. I pulled the sheets from her body and there she layed in a pool of her own blood. Her throat was slit and her hands were cut to ribbons most likely from herself attempting to block a blade. 

Par- guards 

I screamed. 

Par- guards 

I screamed again, and before my third my room was entered. 

My life was not the only one threatened that night . There were attempts on all of our lives. Earlier that day Louis was nearly killed by a group of arrows shot though a window into the castle. Sky was attacked by a masked assassin in the castle gardens. And I might have known these things fist hand if not for my ride to and from the embassy, but I might have also been killed. 

Our father was no longer the only royal in our castle to survive near death. But there was something a miss. Sky said she fought her attacker but they managed to get away. Sky never lost a battle. Louis was almost shot by three arrows while walking the castle grounds, but was saved by his attacker confusing a house guests for a royal. I was meant to die in my sleep, but Lady Yale was in my bed rather than myself. Sky was attacked head on, and her attacker not only got away but could not be described. If there was anyone a stealth approach was fitting to use against it would be my sister. But I had no reason to doubt my sister's claims , none other than those planted by a foreign king. I needed answers to questions before I could begin to speculate, but I'd had enough. I needed a resolution. 

I couldn't sleep in my room until Lady Yale's body and blood were moved , so I decided I was going to have a long night. While my brother slept in a guarded safe room for protection my sister seemed unphased by her attacker getting away , so she was out somewhere in the castle. She was probably speaking with the guards or in the training ring keeping her mind off of everything. She was always her most calm in a battle. I took the opportunity to do a short investigation. 

I entered my sisters room. With the light that Santo gave me I could look around without needing to turn on the rooms lights which would give me away. It was a strange gift , the way that it made things glow in all sorts of different colors. Nothing was the same color, unless it was the same. Teco had given me a vile of the poison that was in our birthday cake , I wondered if I could use my light to match it with its source inside Sky's room. 

I shined the light on the vile and it glowed bright green. I then knew what to look for, but if my sister was truly the one behind our danger she would never leave something incriminating in plain view. Where to begin invading one's privacy? I checked under her bed , in her cabinets, her personal armory but found nothing out of the ordinary. There were no signs of anything that glowed bright green like the sample of poison. I began to feel shame for allowing another King to get in my head and control my thoughts. Ready to leave I put away my light sliding it into my pocket, but only when the room was dark could I see what I'd been missing. There was another source of light beaming through the stone wall onto my face. It was a thin line of light , one that I might have missed if not for my eyes being in the dark for so long. I couldn't find a way to open the wall but I knew it was there. That seemed to be the end of my investigation, but could I really let everything go? I'd have to see. 

When morning came I sent a summons for Santo. I hadn't slept at all the night before and my battle with Non was still present in the bruising on my body. Needless to say I did not look my best. I waited for Santo in a special room. Louis had his bed room or perhaps The Splint , Sky had the training ring , but where I felt most safe was the castle Frame room. A room of walls holding portraits of every generation of Fae's royalty. I'd yet to have my portrait painted so there was an empty space on the wall under King Father and Queen Mother, and between Louis and Sky. I didn't want to be King , I didn't want to be a royal and I loved that room because until my portrait was on the wall it was like I was never royalty at all. It was like seeing my choice, standing outside of what my family all wanted, and no one could tell me who I was until I allowed it. As King I could never be with someone as brilliant as Santo because he was not of a royal blood line. As King I could never hold the company of such a marvel as Jin and her amazing family. As King I could never be close to a member of another Kingdoms royal guard like Non. But as King I could lead my people into a future where they wouldn't fear minds like Santo. As King I could make diversity a norm for people like Jin. As King I could keep us out of war with my allies in the other Kingdoms. I had years to consider my choice but lately the question was on my mind more frequently than I liked. Santo arrived in time to keep me from spiraling into my thoughts. 

Santo- Its rare that I'm summoned to a castle you know

Par- I hope I didn't break you from your work 

Santo- quite the the opposite, I haven't been able to get much work done since the last night we were together 

Par- I suppose it has been a few days 

Santo- I knew what to expect, a prince can't be expected to keep all of his coins in one bank 

Par- but you are quite the bank to invest in 

We shared a laugh. 

Santo - I'm assuming you didn't send for me for a second date 

Par- I might have , but your assumption is right , I need to know something that is long unknown 

Santo- and what is it that you want to know 

Par- is there a way to test bloodlines 

Santo- there are a few , why 

Par- I need you to teach me how to go about running these tests without being noticed 

Santo - well this isn't really my ground of expertise, but if you want to test blood for blood , you will need just that 

Par- blood 

Santo- from the two subjects being tested against one another 

Par- well how do I take a person's blood without their knowing

Santo- who might I ask are you testing 

Par- it's safer if you don't know 

Santo- does it have something to do with last night 

Par- how do you know about last night 

Santo- news travels fast when in relation to the throne 

Par- alright, well once I have the blood then what do I do 

Santo- bring it back to my work shop and I'm sure I can take it from there 

Par- it's not safe for you to be so closely involved 

Santo- I was involved from the moment you sent for me , besides It would take a while to teach you how to run the test on your own , and from the look of your lack of sleep I'd say you want results quickly am I right 

Par- what did I do to deserve you 

Santo- you were open minded 

Gathering blood samples from Sky Queen Mother and King father would be a challenge. I thought of a few ways to go about the ordeal.

Sky seemed to be the simplest of the three to gather a sample from. I thought I might offer to spar with her and collect a sample by wounding her, but there was the risk of her breaking me in the process. So I decide on a simpler plan to wait until after one of her training sessions in the ring and collect her blood from the sand. 

King Father had recovered significantly, but he was still unable to leave his bed or even speak. With his chambers being guarded heavily round the clock I would need a very stealthily approach to collect his blood sample. Or so I thought, due to his condition King Father had grown a nasty cough that would often expel blood. I planned to go check on him and be the one to take his blood rags from the room. 

All that was left was Queen mother. How to collect her sample was taking more thought. She would not simply bleed in a training ring , and she was not sickly and creating samples easy to procure. She was heavily guarded and very cognitive. 

But there was a fourth sample I needed. A fourth sample I wanted. Teco , was he truly my father? It was too late to collect a sample of his blood even if I could have came up with a plan to receive it. So I kept my thoughts on the bigger situation at hand. My suspicions towards my sister were growing too quickly not to proceed. I needed to know one truth, just one solitary piece of information to tell me to worry or be at ease.


	11. Lost Loyal

Two samples collected, and one remaining . How to receive the blood of a queen? The way I saw it I had only two options. One way would be difficult while the other would have its challenges. I did not want to proceed with either, but if my first plan failed, the second would be my only choice. 

Queen Mother loved her garden. She built it on her own from the day that my siblings and I were born. She cultivated the rarest of plants each more exotic than the last, but she adored one flower more than any other, her blue roses. No matter where you stood in the garden blue roses would be near. They were in every patch of green woven throughout everything. Mother once said "to pick a rose is to pick a life". The blue rose was symbolic of the unattainable and the impossible , so to pick one was to symbolize celebration of a life of impossibility, or so I thought. What mattered that day was not the beauty of the flower but rather its danger. Everyone knows a roses thorns are sharp , and that's what I needed. Queen mother was in the garden tender to her flowers when I joined her. I couldn't hide the unease I felt for the task I was to attempt.

Queen- what sits on your shoulders Par 

Par- nothing mother , just worry over the events of past night 

Queen- there is something biting at you , a mother knows when there is something wrong with her children

I picked the thorny flower , but how was I to use it? I couldn't be as forth coming as to hold the thorn to her vein and open it. 

Par- first father , now Louis, Sky, and I are being targeted 

Queen - nothing will happen to my babies while I am here, nothing 

She stood from her spot on the ground and came to offer me a hug , the perfect opportunity. It was my chance, ether do it then or do it never. I hugged my Queen and with rose in hand as we departed from the short comforting embrace I slid the thorn down her arm. 

Queen - oh dear

I didn't cut deep enough, at best it left a scratch, but no blood flowed. 

Par- I'm sorry , I meant to give this to you 

I handed her the flower as I knew I'd lost my one chance. 

Queen- thank you Par , it means so much that in these troubling times you are still my sweat boy 

Par- always mother, always 

I left my mother to her gardening. I couldn't receive the last blood sample, not directly, so I had only one other way. It was a terrible way. You see, there are lines that are to never be crossed for the sake of honor , loyalty, and good grace , but there are lines we avoid for what memories they will give us forever. A woman has a time of bleeding each month. My mother, the queen was no exception. I did not wish to rummage through her chamber pots to find soiled wrappings, but I needed answers. It was both the easiest and most difficult sample I collected. Having to carry it in my pocket to avoid being seen with it in hand will always stay in my mind. 

I had the samples. I was on my way out of the castle to meet Santo, and to my surprise, my brother was going the same direction. We left the castle gates together. 

Par- where are you going 

Louis- whoever tried to kill Father tried to kill me , that means it wasn't The Kingdom of Mar , mother said shes going to end her investigation on those of my kind 

Par- and you think it's safe for you outside the castle so soon

Louis - how long could it take to end the investigation, mother knows how I've missed the people , and the people miss me 

Par- if your sure 

Louis - I'm sure , now where are you off to 

I couldn't tell him the truth but I surely could not lie, my brother would see through it. So I gave a half truth. 

Par- I'm meeting Santo 

Louis - the frail lion , your still seeing him 

Par- he's a nice person 

Louis - when I pulled together your group of possible lays I didn't intend for you to grow this close , or this attached 

Par- I thought you would be happy, you have been the perfect match maker, surly there must be those who you've grown attached to yourself 

Louis - I'm a man of the people Par , but the people always change , and I change too

Par- that sounds lonely brother

Louis- if you want to settle down before you've reached crown age I won't stop you , but if you want to be king someday you'll learn you can't speak for the people if you belong to anyone that sleeps in your bed

Par- how can you speak for the people if you never let them close enough to love 

Louis - Kings don't love 

How could my brother be so untethered. 

Par- then I suppose it's a good thing I don't want a crown 

Louis - you keep telling yourself that , maybe you'll start to believe it brother, everyone wants a crown 

He went his way and I went my own. I had enough to worry about without my brothers heart on my list of situations to confront. I wasted no time riding to Santo's work shop. He was working on something outside when I arrived. It seemed to be a firework. 

Par- what's this 

Santo- this is how your name was spelled out across the Sky the night of your birthday 

Par- you made this too?

Santo - no, but after I figure out how to deconstruct and reconstruct it maybe I'll make something even better 

Par- your quite the renaissance man aren't you 

Santo- you flatter me 

Par- should I stop 

Santo- by all means continue, it'll be the most praise I've received in a long while , but I was under the assumption that you needed a test ran 

Par- yes , yes 

I took from my back the bag containing the samples of blood. 

Par- where do we begin 

Santo - come inside, I've got everything ready 

We stepped inside. His work shop was different. I remembered my first time in Santo's home , it was covered in machinery from door to wall. On that day his tables were clear of everything but empty viles and chemicals unknown to me. 

Santo- let's see what you have 

I handed him my bag and he took from it the samples laying them out on the table one by one. I could see from the look on his face that I'd made a misstep somewhere.

Santo - these aren't what I was expecting Par

Par- the blood is there 

Santo - I'm sure it is, but I'll have to extract the blood samples before I can test them 

Par- and how long will that take 

Santo- to get enough blood out of sand , cloth , and ... are these 

I hoped he would go on without asking why one of the samples was in the form of a womanly wrapping. 

Par- yes 

Santo- it'll take time , a long time , and there is still a chance there won't be enough to test 

Par- I need this 

Santo- I'll do my best Par , but you have to understand there is no guarantee that I can give you 

Par- will you do what you can 

Santo- yes 

Par- then that is enough of a guarantee for me 

He got to work. It was something similar to Jin's dance, he was in his element. Even with my being in his space I could tell the passion he had for the work he did. The calculated and tedious lengths that he took , it was a show. 

Santo- you know , there are kingdoms that have scholarly programs to teach the public sciences like these 

Par- I know

Santo- they don't fear knowledge, they cultivate it , I thought about moving to one of those Kingdoms 

Par- and leave me 

Santo- your open eyes are a breath of fresh air in this place of ignorance, but you don't need me 

Par- but I want you 

Santo- You know I've heard rumors about you 

Par- rumors? Like what 

Santo- that you don't want to be king 

Par- it's more than a rumor 

Santo- I'm sure you'd be exceptional at it 

Par- how can you say that 

Santo- because I know , you are not those who came before you who are afraid of change, your not your sister who lives only to fight a war that doesn't exist, and your not your brother who people love only until they realize how much he does not love them 

Par- I believe I warned you about speaking this way about my family 

Santo- and now , just as you did then, you can't find a falsehood in my words

Par- if I became king I could never be with you , I could never be with anyone outside of royal blood 

Santo- you can't be with me now , and yet here you sit with me not in a castle but my home 

Par- it's not the same 

Santo- no it's not , as King you would not live by rules you would make them , you could change them , whoever says you can't live your life how and with who you want as King will never be able to control you once you are the one on the throne 

It's not the conversation I wanted to have, but he spoke honestly and with more clarity on the matter than I ever had. In our silence I noticed he stopped working. 

Par- it's done ? 

Santo- Its done 

He had three viles on the table before us , one with Sky's blood another with Queen Mother's and the last with King Father's. In his hand he held a bottle of clear liquid. 

Par- now what

Santo- now I add a drop of this to each sample, if they are of similar color when they change then we will know they are related and of course if their colors are not close to the same we will know the opposite 

He prepared to to move forward. He added a single drop to each vile, and we waited. 

The first vile to change color was King Father's. It was a dark orange. The next was Queen mother's. It was a bright pink. 

Santo- these two aren't a match. 

I couldn't tell him who the blood belonged to , but of course the King and Queen were not going to be a match. All that mattered was Sky's blood. If it matched King Father's then Sky was not related to a supposedly insane blood line. If it matched Queen mother's that meant Teco lied about her having a miscarriage, and Sky was her daughter. At any rate if any test came back positive it would prove King Teco lied to me , but If nothing came back the same it would mean he was the most honest of all. 

Santo- It's changing 

Par- how would we know if one sample is related to more than one of the others. 

Santo- the blood will separate into two different colors 

If Sky wasn't the daughter of the King and Queen I would have to turn on her. I would have no choice but to turn over any evidence and all information that I'd uncovered. Was I ready to accuse my Sister of being disloyal? It was the moment of truth. Was Sky the true adversary? Was Teco my ally? 

Santo- there you have it 

Par- no matches.....


	12. Sing Not

I returned home at once , chasing the sun as it set I made it before clouds were black. Santo had no idea why I needed to leave so suddenly, and to protect him I wouldn't tell him the truth. On my arrival back to the castle I found Queen mother sitting in the throne room in Father's seat acting as his voice while he was incapacitated as she'd been doing since his poisoning. To her side stood my sister with the castle guards. 

Par- Mother I need to speak with you 

Queen- I'm afraid it will have to wait Par 

Par- this can not wait 

Sky- Par we are nearly done if you wait outside I'm sure

I snapped at my sisters cutting her off as he attempted to come near and guide me out. 

Par- I'm sure this can not wait 

I'm sure my voice gathered the attention I required. Queen Mother waved the guards to escort those not a part of the family out of the room. 

Par- she needs to leave as well 

Sky- what is the meaning of this 

Queen- what could be so threatening that your sister need to leave , that you interrupt my long held meeting with city diplomats 

If she would not leave then I had no choice. 

Par- I have reason to believe Sky is to blame for the attempts on our families lives 

Sky- what nonsense is this Par 

Queen- yes , these are damaging accusations, what proof have you that our Reeves have somehow missed 

Par- on the night of our birth day , the only cake served was to our family and of us you and Father were the ones to receive poison in the mix, not Louis, Sky, or myself 

Sky- then it could just as easily be you who is the culprit 

Par- then there was how after our father nearly died my sister seemed to feel nothing, she retired to her training ring as usual 

Sky- so my lack of tears is now a show of disloyalty 

Par- when assassins entered the castle and tried to kill me in my sleep and Louis by arrow through shattered castle windows, you somehow were the only one to be faced head on , and you say you lost the battle and they got away 

Queen - Par I have heard enough 

Par- but I haven't gotten to the important part, I searched your room 

Sky- you did what 

She lunged at me and the only thing keeping her from my person were the royal guards. 

Par- you have a secret room behind a brick wall 

Sky- Par , don't do this 

Par- but the piece of evidence that made me believe you were capable of all of these things is 

Queen - I said enough 

Queen Mother stood up from the throne. 

Queen- Par , what you have found, these accusations, I can't 

Sky- Mother this is all nothing more than 

Queen- I can not let this stand 

There was silence. 

Queen - take her away 

Sky- Mother

She cried out as the guards drug her away. Never had I seen my sister in tears , and I would never imagine a person who tried to kill their family would weep as heavy as she. She didn't fight, why did she not fight? She could have left the room in blood soaked ribbons and got away , but she allowed her self to be taken. 

Queen - you did the right thing , bringing this to me was the only way to keep our family safe 

I wanted to believe her words but a pit at my core told me I made a mistake. 

Par- what will happen to her 

Queen- for attempting to murder a King and Queen as well as two heirs to the throne, Sky will face execution 

Par- execution, but she is your daughter, my sister, a loyal member of our 

Queen- she stopped being all of those things the moment she conspired to have your father and I killed 

Par- but mother 

Queen- leave , Par, do not make this night harder than it need be by fighting what must be done

Par- Mother 

Queen- leave 

As she retook her seat guards made it clear that it would not be wise to make her speak a third time. 

In despair, I needed someone to lean on , someone to tell me I'd done the right thing. I needed my brother. With night reaching it's peak I searched for my brother. He was not in his room , nor any of the dinning halls. He was not in the garden or the court yard. I remembered where he enjoyed spending his time when not in the castle. The Splint. Late as it might have been I needed my brother. 

The establishment was just as grimy as my fist memory of it if not more. Like before I entered and approached the bar to speak with Frank. 

Frank- well would you look at who decided to grace my fine establishment 

Par- hello Frank , I'm here for 

Frank- your here to pay your brothers tab or you can take your monkey ass back to your ivory tower 

Par- now is not the time to speak to me this way 

Frank- oh , is that so , we'll the 100 pil your brother owes me along with the door he broke and the stairs he scuffed up are telling me to speak to you however I fucking feel , now pay me or 

Par- broken door , and scuffed floor? 

Frank- is there something wrong with you and your brother or are all royals shit customers 

Par- you said he broke a door and scuffed a floor , how

Frank- some guards came by and picked him up , I guess he didn't wanna leave 

Par- Royal guards? 

I knew it was too soon for Louis to the castle, even if Mother was no longer targeting his kind for the crimes against our family it could take days for all royal guards to know. 

Par- when did this all happen 

Frank- about an hour ago 

I turned to be on my way. 

Frank- where do you think your going, you owe me 

Par- your right , and I'll pay you by not having this place shut down for the many violations of Fae law that it seems to break daily 

Frank- Fuck you 

Par- Fuck you Frank


	13. Children

If royal guards took Louis there would only be three places to find him. The castle dungeons , the torture pit , or if I was lucky his bedroom. Unfortunately he was not held in his room. 

The castle dungeons were a murky place. The smell of mildew and blood was ever present in the long corridor of metal and brick cells.with only one way in and one way out and no windows prisoners knew they stood no chance of excape. I walked the corridor , passing open cells of bead rotting corpses, chamber pots filled to the brim with entrails and blood. No step taken had an absence of muck under my feet. I found my brother. He was stripped of his royal robes and stood before me in rags that looked to be handed down by the deceased. 

Louis -Par 

Par- Louis, I'm going to get you out of here I promise 

Louis - what have you done 

Par- I've done nothing, I told you to wait to leave the castle

Louis- you sentenced our sister to death 

Par- what, no , you don't understand 

Louis - she was here , they took her 

Par- took her where 

Louis - to be tortured, they want to know who she conspired with 

Par- I didn't mean for this to happen I swear

Louis- what did you think would happen, she told me you searched her room and found her secret , you said love was a good thing , why would you doom her to death for loving a castle guard 

Par- What

Louis- her secret hidden behind the wall was a sword given to her by a castle guard, the castle guard she confided in when father was poisoned, the castle guard that almost died protecting her when we were almost murdered in the night 

My sister was in love? 

Par- I didn't know , how could I have known 

Louis - are you the only one allowed to have secrets , because of your unwillingness to leave hers out of the light she will pay with her life itself 

Par- I'll stop this 

I called out for a guard but they stayed at their post. 

Louis- it's too late , the only person who can free us is Mother

Par- I'll find her , I'll make this nightmare end , I promise 

He wouldn't look at me . He sank to the floor and not even the drip of murky water on his head made him alert. As I left the hole that was the dungeons I could hear the screams of what could only be Sky in agony. 

I ran through the castle calling for my Mother. I searched everywhere to no avail. But I knew where to find her, in the castle gardens. It seemed darker than usual on that night , perhaps the pain in my heart was seeping out into the air. I used my light from Santo as I tired of stumbling over over rose bushes in the dark. 

Par- Mother

I called out 

Par- Mother 

I called out again. 

There was nowhere else in the castle for her to be. I felt she was around me , avoiding me , staying out of my strange light. That's when I saw it. Her blue roses , they glowed bright green. It was the same bright green as the poison Teco extracted from the cake. Could it be a coincidence? It couldn't be. It all began to make sense.

She worked with the cook to make the perfect cake that turned out to be poisoned. While Father was unable to rule she sat on the thone. When the assassins came for my siblings and I she and Father were never attacked. She told Louise she was done hunting his kind but it seemed the second he was outside of the castle she cracked down on the investigation, an investigation she knew was pointless. And she let me hammer the final nail by giving her a reason to take away Sky. But why?

Queen- I see you've put it together

Her voice echoed behind my ears and as I turned around the same green glow as the roses and poison radiated from her hands as she stepped put of the shadows.

Par- It was you?

Queen- Of course it was me Par 

Par- But why , how could you 

Queen- How could I not 

Par- We were your family

Queen- You were never my family , none of you were born of my skin and done

She knew. 

Par- You know 

Queen- Yes I know , I know what King Teco told you , but I knew long before then , I knew that he was your father , and I knew Sky was not my daughter 

Par- That's what this is about

Queen- Your King , my husband, he thought I would never know , but a mother knows when something is wrong with her children, how could I not know I gave birth to the dead , and then they wanted me to love not one but three children born not of my flesh but the wombs of mothers unknown 

Par- Why would you stay , why would you pretend to love us for so long 

Queen- I had no choice, as a queen I could never leave , marriage to the throne only ends with death 

She came closer and stood under the shadow of a tree as if to hide her face.

Par- I won't let you get away with this

Queen- How can you stop me , what army do you have at your back , what crown do you wear

Par- Father will stop you, you can't kill all of us without the kingdom knowing it was your hands responsible

She laughed and that was perhaps the most terrified moment of my existence.

Queen- Your father is never going to leave his chambers again 

Par- You killed him?

Queen- No, Your father was never going to die , I simply needed him incapacitated , and now that he is I am free to rule without question, he will stay my key to the throne, all that is left to be done is to strike down the kingdoms responsible for the heirs of Fae and the heirs themselves 

Par- The people won't accept that we have simply disappeared or died all at once 

Queen- I'll kill your father the king of Catalina for interfering with my affairs, Louis will die a death like that of his long dead father and leader of Mar , I'll have you flogged for conspiring to commit treason with Catalina, and you've already sealed your sisters fate for me 

Par- I will stop you

Queen- so you say , but I don't believe you 

Par- why admit all of this to me , why be so open now 

Queen - because I know you don't long for the throne, you never have

Par- and you think what , that I won't do anything because 

Queen- because I'm giving you a choice, leave now , run away and go find the common life you long for , or die like your adopted siblings in a dungeon screaming for an end that will be drawn out for ages 

Par- you think I would turn on my family, you think I would be so disloyal 

Queen - and what is loyalty Par , People like us don't get to have what we want, we don't even get the chance to know what it is ,We give ourselves because of morality and a code too strong to break, Shackled to responsibilities that we grow into

She started to come closer and I backed away. 

Queen- we can not be weak for others but we lack strength for ourselves, Life offers so many doors, but we choose the one that let's us keep safe the people we are to never give up on , despite the opportunity of new connections that could make us better make us whole, How much will we sacrifice, it's a slope that we slip down until there is no bottom Humble as we are I tried to be I knew what I was doing, but I did it 

She made small advances into my space until I felt her looming over me. 

Queen- Sad as we may be we continue to march on, soldiers of a cause unknown Loyalty that is a weakness, our crutch , never a joy

I stumbled backwards falling to the ground as she engulfed my space. I tried to run, but still I could hear her voice like a whisper in the air around me.

Queen- and we pray for salvation because no one will release us, Loyalty is forever holding us in place until we become what we swore never to happen on our watch, Loyalty is the last breath taken as every fleeting moment passes like a flicker of light on what could have been, Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty , to hell with it 

I turned out my light and tried to hide. The shadows were both my enemy and friend as she could not see me nor I her. 

Par- it doesn't have to be this way 

Queen- it can only be this way Par, there are no comprises In the war freedom 

Par- you can leave , now more than ever , while you hold the cards no one would stop you 

She lunged at me from the shadows of trees in my path and I quickly retreated into the cover of low bushes. 

Queen- no one can stop me, I'm offering you a choice, a chance to have what I never could 

Par- your offering me a life of dishonor and betrayal 

Queen - but it would be your life and yours alone 

She ripped the bush from the earth revealing my hiding spot and I tripped her as I got to my feet. 

Par - maybe your right, this can only end one way 

As she got to her feet I unsheathed my blade , the blade of The Last Dragon Kingdom . 

Queen- you think you can kill me 

She laughed again. My blade was sharp but she had natural claws made for battle. 

Queen - even if you could you would only put yourself in a position to take blame for all that has happened to our happy family 

Par- I never wanted to be king , but when I am I will make sure this piece of history never repeats its self 

I slashed at her side and she replied by aiming for my chest with a slash that ripped my shirt to shredded nothing rather than my flesh. For all the speed I had she was faster , for every reflex I used she had more power. But I had hope that I was smarter. She thought she had me beat, I lead her to believe she was pushing me back , but I was guiding her. 

Those blue roses were never roses.

As she slashed at my body I blocked as well as one could but took blood dripping wound after wound until I had her where I needed. She lunged once more and with my tail I gripped her wrist and threw her into the patch of deadly flora. Before she could stand I pressed my foot on her chest and pushed her body into the thorns. At first it seemed my plan hadn't worked as she gripped my leg and meant to get me off , but her eyes began to bulge and from her mouth foam ran. She clutched at me for a while as I held her pinned to the sharp ground until life faded from her eyes. I stepped off of her corps and the deed was done. If anyone questioned how the queen died they would not ask twice if told her own exotic children were to blame.


	14. Never End

The queen was dead and Father was a vegetable. I wish I could say I had my brother and sister, but after what my missteps caused we would never be the same. Sky survived being tortured, but not without gaining scars. She had a reason to wear her body armor. Louis was the same, but before the Queen's death she revealed who his Father was. The leader of a kingdom that has rivaled Fae for decades was his Father, and I couldn't decide on telling him or not. I pardoned my siblings so they were free , but they could never take the throne. 

They understood why I did what I did , and they understood that Mother was the true adversary, but it didn't stop us from becoming like splinters of the same wood bleeding away from one another. But I had new family. Teco was my Father, which made me the King of one land and the prince of another. It was an odd relationship that sprouted from our relation , but he was if nothing else an ally. 

The people were none the wiser about the events that took place behind castle walls. There lives went on without any fires being seen. But my life would forever be changed. To kill your Mother and know that your Father will never return, to hurt your sister and keep secrets from your brother, my rule began on crackled ground. I only wished that I might have someone to share it with.

Santo knew If I became king our relationship would most likely end. I longed for our conversations in remembrance of his unfiltered truths. Jin had to leave Fae eventually. As a member of a family circus her heart could not stay where her family did not run. I missed her inspiration, her untamed soul. I had much to learn as a new King, too much to learn and stay joined with anyone for longer than fleeting moments. But I tried to keep them near. I worked to be someone they could be proud of someone they might look to and know had their best interest at hart. 

But all was looking for the better. In a years time one might say I was beginning to fit into my role. 

It was our 18th birthday, a time when we were meant to travel the kingdom and gain experience so that we might one day be ready for the throne. But the throne was already mine, so we celebrated a different way. I offered my sister a title of leadership in the royal guard, and my brother the chance to become a lead diplomat to act as a voice of the people. We discussed the proposals together, not with a party because we'd seen enough of those, but alone as a family. It was the start of our rebuilding of bonds lost. I could only hope that we could begin again. My taking the throne was not the end of our story, it was the beginning of many more to come, and I would need my family to be there with me. 

(( Tune in next time when The Kingdom of Fae returns in "Midway 2". Until then be sure to check out more stories by Pop5on22 like "New Life" , "The Sad but True" and the newest story with new chapters scheduled to be released next "Strange Fruit"))


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